Silver Lake
Silver Lake in Hernando County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 85 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Why Silver Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Silver Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by FDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Silver Lake is a lake in Hernando County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-06-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Silver Lake water quality
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Silver Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 85 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 68.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 85 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Lake in Hernando County, Florida — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Silver Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Silver Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Withlacoochee State Forest - Silver Lake CampgroundPublic
- Withlacoochee State Forest - Silver Lake Day Use AreaPublic
- Withlacoochee State Forest - Iron Bridge Primitive Boat LaunchPublic
- Withlacoochee State Forest - River Junction Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Silver Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -50 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Graded lakes near Silver Lake
Silver Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Hernando County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
Where is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake is a lake in Hernando County, Florida. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Hernando County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 85 µg/L.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Silver Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Silver Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Silver Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Withlacoochee State Forest - Silver Lake Campground, Withlacoochee State Forest - Silver Lake Day Use Area, Withlacoochee State Forest - Iron Bridge Primitive Boat Launch, Withlacoochee State Forest - River Junction Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Silver Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples4 samples · 2022–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory